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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Fundamentals of Graphic Design by California Institute of the Arts

4.8
stars
17,754 ratings

About the Course

Graphic Design is all around us! Words and pictures—the building blocks of graphic design—are the elements that carry the majority of the content in both the digital world and the printed world. As graphic design becomes more visible and prevalent in our lives, graphic design as a practice becomes more important in our culture. Through visual examples, this course will teach you the fundamental principles of graphic design: imagemaking, typography, composition, working with color and shape... foundational skills that are common in all areas of graphic design practice. I don't just want you to watch a video of someone talking about design, I want you to MAKE design! If you want to be a designer you have to be a maker and a communicator, so this course will offer you lots of opportunities to get your hands dirty with exercises and with more practical projects. At the end of this course you will have learned how to explore and investigate visual representation through a range of image-making techniques; understand basic principles of working with shape, color and pattern; been exposed to the language and skills of typography; and understand and have applied the principles of composition and visual contrast. If you complete the course, along with its optional (but highly recommended) briefs, you will have a core set of graphic design skills that you can apply to your own projects, or to more deeply investigate a specialized area of graphic design. To succeed in this course you will need access to a computer. You can complete this course without one but it will be tougher. Access to, and a beginner's level knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite programs, such as Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign will help you, especially if you want to complete the optional briefs....

Top reviews

MN

May 18, 2022

very good introductory course. i enjoyed the assignments, they are not overwhelming, easy to start, and the optional ones offer great opportunity to dig little deeper into graphic design fundamentals.

CS

May 9, 2018

An ok course for beginners. A bit too basic for someone who has already had experience in design, but is great anyway cause it breaks things back down to the simplest parts to help you remember roots.

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4501 - 4525 of 4,554 Reviews for Fundamentals of Graphic Design

By Geffania G G

Jul 30, 2020

It was Good.

By Claudel R

Sep 17, 2023

Very basic!

By Nusanta S A

Sep 28, 2020

good

By Silvana L A C

Jun 14, 2020

Good

By Ada S

Sep 11, 2024

***

By Richard L

Aug 5, 2020

The course itself was very good. I studied for many more hours than the recommended times and I learned a lot. I read books about Bauhaus, color, and typography. I watched a film about Bauhaus and did an online course by Pantone about color perception. The thing that lets the course down is the peer reviews, which are mostly useless. I've tried hard to write thoughtful reviews and I've done more than the minimum number for every assignment. In return I've received reviews like "ok" and "good". These people are just taking the mickey and CalArts and Coursera are responsible by neglect. It would be easy to automatically check for a minimum number of words in reviews. I notice that Gail Swanlund gives guidance about how to review in the Imagemaking course, but shouldn't this be in the first course so people know how to review? There ought to be a way to report these non-reviews and the people should be stripped of their course marks.

By Lisa T

Mar 7, 2016

This course does go over some of the basics of graphic design, but I expected it to be a lot more rigorous. The assignments are incredibly simple, and I think that there should be no optional assignments in the class. The reason I'm taking this class is because I have a hard time motivating myself to learn on my own, so I need something that will really push me. I only spent about an hour a week completing this course, and I believe that you can't learn something by only spending an hour a week on it. Also what's the point of having mentors if they don't engage with you? I know I could have contacted them if I had a question, but I didn't because it was so easy. I wouldn't mind getting feedback from a professional graphic designer though if they're available. Also seeing how many students misinterpret the assignments, it makes me nervous that they are the ones grading mine.

By Svante B

Nov 21, 2024

The information is good and the teacher knowledgeable, which is very important. The course material however, looks very dated. You can do a better job shooting this on a phone today. Also the peer graded assignments (all assignments where you have to create something in the course are peer graded), are a bit of a joke. People go in and give whatever rating they want and then spam one word as motivation. Then you're stuck with that grade.

By Trina R

Jun 5, 2023

Quality of peer review is horrible. The course itself is very simple and deals with the basics, but I found there was no guidance on how to use the necessary programs. Most disappointed by there being no faculty review. The peers who are reviewing your work often have no idea what they're doing, and the rampant plagiarism makes it difficult to want to put effort into your work.

By Teresa S

Aug 28, 2021

At one tine a enjoyed this class and now I don't. I Have been treated unfairly for the last couple months to turn in one assignment so I can complete this coursed. Every time I turned in assignment you always finds something wrong. Is this how Coursera teach and grade their student.

By Nissam F F

May 16, 2021

A lot of Theory, but having already worked a bit in the graphic design I don't think this is very useful when you start working. But maybe good to initiate a complete beginner.

By Deleted A

Jun 15, 2020

Super basic stuff. I think it could be condensed. Not sure I learned more than a couple concepts, which could have been summarized on 1-2 slides.

By Pamela G

Jan 1, 2020

Very boring video lectures, especially dry if this is your first exposure to graphic design or design in general. It does not motivate.

By Avyudaya A

Apr 5, 2020

This was too basic for me. I think that I joined the wrong course unknowingly. This course might be good for actual beginners.

By Heather W L

Oct 15, 2021

Every screen was black and I lost interest in the course right away, it felt very juvenile. I was hoping for more substance.

By Mia M

Feb 18, 2021

This course is really only for complete beginners. Great instructions for people who have never finished a creative project.

By Julliette G

Jan 29, 2021

a bit boring? even though graphic design is really not? and had to play it 1.50 speed too!

By Deleted A

Dec 30, 2020

not find that course that much beneficial that i think before enroll

By Priscila A d S

Jan 15, 2019

Não gostei muito que meus exercícios são avaliados por colegas.

By Misbah K M

Sep 4, 2022

Not what i expected that i would learn. over all a good course

By Azeem A

Jan 12, 2016

I joined to learn outstanding experience but ... disappointed

By Kimia k

Jul 21, 2024

it can be helpful and it is really fundamental and basic

By Karen D

Jun 26, 2024

I need some human guidance but no one is responding

By Vaishnavi S

Dec 10, 2023

Even after completing it shows not completed

By Angie F

Oct 22, 2021

Seemed kind of old, like from the early 10's